Many people around the world take medicine to lower high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a very common health problem.
If it is not treated, it can lead to serious issues like heart attacks or strokes. To manage high blood pressure, doctors often suggest healthy lifestyle changes like eating better and exercising. But in many cases, people also need to take medicine.
Some of the most common blood pressure medicines are ACE-inhibitors, beta-blockers, and calcium channel blockers. These drugs help control blood pressure in different ways. While millions of people take these drugs safely every day, scientists still want to understand more about their long-term effects on other parts of the body.
A research team from Imperial College London recently looked into how these drugs may be connected to other health problems. The scientists used genetic data from about 750,000 people to learn more.
They studied the proteins in the body that these blood pressure drugs target. Then they looked at small genetic differences related to those proteins to see how they might affect other health issues.
In their study, they looked at the risks of nearly 900 different health conditions. One surprising result was that a certain type of calcium channel blocker, called non-dihydropyridine, was linked to a higher risk of developing bowel problems—especially a condition called diverticulosis.
Diverticulosis happens when small pouches or bulges form in the lining of the intestines. This condition becomes more common as people get older. Many people with diverticulosis don’t have any symptoms, but in some cases, it can lead to serious problems, including infection or bleeding. Sometimes, it may even require emergency surgery.
The researchers think this link between the medicine and diverticulosis may be because of how the drug affects the muscles in the intestines. These muscles help move food through the digestive system. If the muscles are affected, it might make it harder for the body to move food, which could lead to the formation of these pouches.
This study was led by Dr. Dipender Gill and was published in the journal Circulation. The goal was to learn more about the hidden side effects of medicines that are commonly used.
Even though this finding is important, the researchers say that people who take blood pressure medicine should not stop taking it. Stopping blood pressure medicine suddenly can be dangerous. If anyone has concerns, they should speak to their doctor.
This research helps doctors and scientists better understand how blood pressure drugs can affect the body in ways beyond just lowering blood pressure.
More research may help find safer ways to treat high blood pressure, especially for people who are at risk of bowel problems. For now, the advice is to continue taking your medicine as prescribed and talk to your doctor if you have any concerns.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about blood pressure drug that may increase risk of sudden cardiac arrest, and these teas could help reduce high blood pressure.
For more health information, please see recent studies about nutrient that could strongly lower high blood pressure, and results showing this novel antioxidant may help reverse blood vessels aging by 20 years.
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